Tombland by C.J.Sansom x Foeder Beer (Nelson Sauvin) by The Kernel Brewery

The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell x Gunnamatta Earl Grey IPA by Yeastie Boys

For a fun couple of weeks I’ve been inhabiting a Scottish bookshop, curled up in the shelves like Captain the shop cat. Eavesdropping on Nicky describing her blackberry jam or giggling mischievously as Kindels are destroyed for sport. I’ve been the ghost at the table as end of day pints have been drunk and endless cups of tea slurped (only from bone China, if you’re Nicky, a detail that, as beer drinker that prefers proper glassware, I appreciate). .

There could be no better pairing for this unpretentious book with a little bite than a clean, hoppy, malty IPA - there’s not a little bitterness coming through about the state of the book industry in general and the fate of bookshops in particular. Amazon predictably and deservedly gets short thrift, as do the ridiculous individuals who partake in the murky art of showrooming. 

Bythells pithy matter of fact humour pairs perfectly with the style: a little naughty (higher abv), a little gossipy (easy drinking), some surprisingly sweet moments (lots of malt and a lovely soft stone-fruit aroma), and a clean little sting in the tail (that lip smacking bitterness). Specifically I’ve gone for Gunnamatta, the terrific Earl Grey IPA by Yeastie Boys, not just because you can’t read this book and not crave a cuppa, but because I appreciate the delicacy herbal notes of the bergamot, not to mention that extra dimension to the bittering...

Aside from the omnipresence of tea, pints and whisky throughout The Diary of a Bookseller, the key to this pairing is the fragrant bergamot and hops eliciting day dreams of wild flowers and herbs on mountain walks or bordering the banks of the Shin as we fish for trout. 

Yet another book here where I’m finding this ode to nature and indeed summer lying underneath the main subject. I can’t tell you the melancholy I felt when the entry for Wednesday 17th September closed with: “No sign of the swallows on the wires anymore.” .

This particular IPA is a good solid, clear beer. No soupy murky fruit juices here. A summer picnic on the nose as stone fruits and flowers burst out of the glass before the moreish malts release their caramel and biscuit savours with that first sip. 
A brittle clean bitterness refreshes the palate demanding another hearty sip. Just as each of the diverse and evocative entries to Shaun Bythells diary (he’s a bit too scary for me to first name him as I did with Jilly and Nancy) reveal something surprising, interesting, funny or thoughtful giving you a heartbeat to digest it as you swirl your glass before dipping back in for another sip and another day of life in The Bookshop.